UB Criminologist: Ferguson Reveals Danger of Uncertain Police Tactics

Jeffrey Ian Ross, professor of criminal justice in the University of Baltimore's College of Public Affairs, tells CNN that the various tactics tried by law enforcement to quell unrest in Ferguson, Mo., may be a factor in the continuing violence and frustration there. The use of military-grade hardware has been "provocative," Ross said, while other efforts have appeared to show that police are "making it up as they go along."

While Ross agrees that police were needed to address the unrest, he said that public perceptions that they are "experimenting" to determine what will disperse the crowds have become a focal point.

"It tells me that they're not ceretain who's in control and how to control this civil strife," Ross said.